U.S. patent number 4,545,214 [Application Number 06/683,649] was granted by the patent office on 1985-10-08 for heat pump system utilizable for air conditioner, water supply apparatus and the like.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Misawa Homes Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Teruo Kinoshita.
United States Patent |
4,545,214 |
Kinoshita |
October 8, 1985 |
Heat pump system utilizable for air conditioner, water supply
apparatus and the like
Abstract
In a heat pump system according to the present invention, a
plurality of heat exchangers are arranged in sequence in the
vertical direction in a tank for storing a heat medium therein, and
these heat exchangers are connected in series to a heat exchanger
arranged outside the tank to construct a cooling medium circulating
passage. A by-passing passage by-passing the heat exchanger
arranged outside the tank and expanding means arranged in series to
this heat exchanger is formed in the cooling medium circulating
passage, and an expansion passage is arranged in parallel to the
cooling medium circulating passage connected to the heat exchangers
within the tank. The flowing direction of the cooling medium in the
cooling medium circulating passage is selectively reversed and a
passage for circulation of the cooling medium is selected by
selecting means, so that the heat exchangers in the tank are caused
to selectively function as condensers or evaporators, whereby a
warm heat medium and a cooling medium are stored in the tank or
layers of the warm heat medium or cold heat medium differing in the
temperature are formed in the tank. A cooling and heating apparatus
is operated by the heat medium in the tank, the temperature of
which is thus controlled, to control the temperature in a room at
an appropriate level, or a water supply apparatus is operated by
the temperature-controlled heat medium in the tank to supply warm
water and/or cold water maintained at an appropriate temperature to
the outside.
Inventors: |
Kinoshita; Teruo (Tokyo,
JP) |
Assignee: |
Misawa Homes Co., Ltd.
(JP)
|
Family
ID: |
11469577 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/683,649 |
Filed: |
December 19, 1984 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/160; 62/183;
62/238.6; 62/238.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25B
13/00 (20130101); F24D 11/02 (20130101); F24D
17/02 (20130101); F28D 2020/0078 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F24D
11/00 (20060101); F25B 13/00 (20060101); F24D
11/02 (20060101); F25B 013/00 (); F25B
027/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;62/160,183,238.6,238.7 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
58-69346 |
|
Apr 1983 |
|
JP |
|
58-205040 |
|
Nov 1983 |
|
JP |
|
Primary Examiner: King; Lloyd L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Lowe, King, Price & Becker
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A heat medium temperature controlling heat pump system which
comprises a tank for storing a heat medium therein, a plurality of
first heat exchange means arranged in sequence from the upper
portion to the lower portion in the tank, second heat exchange
means arranged outside said tank, a cooling medium circulating
passage for connecting a plurality of said first heat exchange
means to said second heat exchange means in series, means for
forcibly circulating a cooling medium in said cooling medium
circulating passage, means for reversing the flowing direction of
the cooling medium in said cooling medium circulating passage,
cooling medium expanding means connected in parallel to the portion
of said cooling medium circulating passage between two adjacent
upper and lower first heat exchange means, second cooling medium
expanding means arranged in series in the portion of said cooling
medium circulating passage between the lowermost first heat
exchange means and the second heat exchange means, a first
by-passing passage by-passing said second heat exchange means so
that the cooling medium circulating passage in short-circuited,
first valve means for selectively introducing the cooling medium
into one of said first cooling medium expanding means and the
portion of said cooling medium circulating passage parallel to said
first cooling medium expanding means, and second valve means for
selectively introducing the cooling medium into one of the first
by-passing passage and said second heat exchange means.
2. A heat pump system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first
and second heat exchange means are condensing means and/or
evaporating means to be selected.
3. A heat pump system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tank is
a tank for storing water as the heat medium therein.
4. A heat pump system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means
for reversing the flowing direction of the cooling medium is a
four-way valve in which the first position where a cooling medium
extrusion port of the cooling medium circulating passage is fluidly
connected to one connecting port of the topmost first heat exchange
means and a cooling medium suction port of the cooling medium
circulating passage is fluidly connected to one connecting port of
the second heat exchange means and the second position where said
extrusion port is fluidly connected to said one connecting port of
the heat exchange means and said suction port is fluidly connected
to said one connecting port of the topmost first heat exchange
means are selectively changed over to each other.
5. A heat pump system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first
valve means includes a pair of opening and closing valves
interposed in cooling medium passage including said first cooling
medium expanding means and the portion of said cooling medium
circulating passage parallel to said first cooling medium expanding
means, respectively.
6. A heat pump system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second
valve means includes opening and closing valves interposed in
cooling medium passages connected to said first by-passing passage
and said second heat exchange means, respectively.
7. A heat pump system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cooling
medium circulating passage includes a second by-passing passage
by-passing the respective first heat exchange means and the first
cooling medium expanding means adjacent thereto.
8. A heat pump system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cooling
medium circulating passage has a third by-passing passage
by-passing the lowermost interior heat exchange means.
9. A heat pump type air-conditioning apparatus, which comprises a
tank for storing a heat medium therein, a plurality of first heat
exchange means arranged in sequence from the upper portion to the
lower portion in the tank, second heat exchange means arranged
outside said tank, a cooling medium circulating passage for
connecting a plurality of said first heat exchange means to said
second heat exchange means in series, means for forcibly
circulating a cooling medium in said cooling medium circulating
passage, means for reversing the flowing direction of the cooling
medium in said cooling medium circulating passage, cooling medium
expanding means connected in parallel to the portion of said
cooling medium circulating passage between two adjacent upper and
lower first heat exchange means, second cooling medium expanding
means arranged in series in the portion of said cooling medium
circulating passage between the lowermost first heat exchange means
and the second heat exchange means, a first by-passing passage
by-passing said the second heat exchange means so that the cooling
medium circulating passage is short-circuited, first valve means
for selectively introducing the cooling medium into one of said
first cooling medium expanding means and the portion of the cooling
medium circulating passage parallel to said first cooling medium
expanding means, second valve means for selectively introducing the
cooling medium into one of said first by-passing passage and said
second heat exchange means, heat exchange means for air
conditioning, and heat medium circulating means for circulating a
heat medium between said heat exchange means for air conditioning
and said tank.
10. A heat pump type air-conditioning apparatus as set forth in
claim 9, wherein said heat exchange means for air conditioning is
heat exchange means for cooling and heating air in a room.
11. A heat pump type air-conditioning apparatus as set forth in
claim 1, wherein said heat medium circulating means includes
selecting means for selectively circulating the heat medium in said
tank at a height corresponding to said first heat exchange means
into said heat exchange means for air conditioning.
12. A heat pump type water-supplying apparatus, which comprises a
tank for storing a heat medium therein, a plurality of first heat
means arranged in sequence from the upper portion to the lower
portion in the tank, second heat exchange means arranged outside
said tank, a cooling medium circulating passage for connecting a
plurality of said first heat exchange means to said second heat
exchange means in series, means for forcibly circulating a cooling
medium in said cooling medium circulating passage, means for
reversing the flowing direction of the cooling medium in said
cooling medium circulating passage, cooling medium expanding means
connected in parallel to the portion of said cooling medium
circulating passage between two adjacent upper and lower first heat
exchange means, second cooling medium expanding means arranged in
series in the portion of said cooling medium circulating passage
between the lowermost first heat exchange means and the second heat
exchange means, a first by-passing passage by-passing said the
second heat exchange means so that the cooling medium circulating
passage is short-circuited, first valve means for selectively
introducing the cooling medium into one of said first cooling
medium expanding means and the portion of the cooling medium
circulating passage parallel to said first cooling medium expanding
means, second valve means for selectively introducing the cooling
medium into one of said first by-passing passage and said second
heat exchange means, at least one third heat exchange means
arranged in said tank, and water supply means for taking out water
and/or hot water heat-exchanged in said third heat exchange means
from said tank and applying it to intended use.
13. A heat pump type water-supplying apparatus as set forth in
claim 12, wherein said third heat exchange means is located within
the heat medium in said tank at a height corresponding to said
first heat exchange means.
14. A heat pump type water-supplying apparatus as set forth in
claim 13, wherein said water supply means includes selecting means
for supplying water selectively to one of said third heat exchange
means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A so-called heat pump for absorbing heat from one heat source and
emitting heat to the other heat source is often used for an air
conditioner or a hot water supply apparatus at the present.
In the conventional heat pump system, heat exchangers are arranged
for both the heat sources, respectively, and the heat exchangers
are connected to each other through a cooling medium circulating
passage and generally, according to the circulation direction of
the cooling medium, one of the heat exchangers is used as an
evaporator and the other heat exchanger is used as a condenser to
function for a freezing cycle. If one heat exchanger is arranged
within a tank where a heat medium such as water is stored,
according to the circulation direction of the cooling medium, warm
water is stored in the tank when the heat exchanger is a condenser
or cold water is stored in the tank when the heat exchanger is an
evaporator.
Namely, according to the conventional technique, only warm water or
cold water is contained and stored in the tank but there cannot be
exerted a function of simultaneously storing both the warm and cold
water in the tank.
As examples of the conventional heat pump system, there can be
mentioned a system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent
Publication No. Sho-58-69346 and a system disclosed in Japanese
Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho-58-205040. The former
apparatus is a hot water supply apparatus provided with a heat
pump, in which two heat exchangers for supply of hot water are
connected to each other in series. The first heat exchanger for
supply of hot water is used mainly for effecting heat exchange
during the condensation process of the freezing cycle and warm
water of a relatively low appropriate temperature is supplied. On
the other hand, the second heat exchanger for supply of hot water
is used mainly for effecting heat exchange in the gas zone during
the condensation process, and a part of warm water heated by the
first heat exchanger is further heated to supply water of an
elevated temperature.
When this hot water supply apparatus is used in households for
supplying warm water of a relatively low temperature to be used for
bathing, washing, face washing and cleaning and for supplying hot
water of a relatively high temperature to be used as additional hot
water to a bath. In this system, the disadvantage of the
conventional technique in which relatively low temperature warm
water is supplied by using the heat pump apparatus and an auxiliary
heat source such as an electric heater is necessary for supplying
hot water at a relatively high temperature is eliminated. Namely,
in this heat pump apparatus, two kinds of elevated temperature
water differing in the temperature are produced.
The latter apparatus has a structure in which water heat-exchanged
outside is introduced into a heat accumulating tank where water is
stored. When cold water is introduced into this heat accumulating
tank, the heat of water taken out from the upper portion of the
heat accumulating tank is discharged in the exterior heat exchanger
to form cold water and this cold water is introduced into the lower
portion of the heat accumulating tank, and when warm water is
introduced into the heat accumulating tank, the heat of water taken
out from the lower portion of the heat accumulating tank is
absorbed by the exterior heat exchanger to form warm water and this
warm water is introduced into the upper portion of the heat
accumulating tank.
Accordingly, in this apparatus, there can be attained effects of
preventing mingling of cold water and warm water in the heat
accumulating tank and increasing the heat exchange efficiency of
the heat exchanger. However, the heat accumulating tank of this
conventional type has no function of positively producing cold
water and warm water.
It is apparent from the above-description that the conventional
heat pump systems have only a function of producing warm water or
cold water, and a heat pump system capable of simultaneously
producing two kinds of elevated temperature water differing in the
temperature, two kinds of cold water differing in the temperature
or cold water and warm water has not been provided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an
excellent heat pump system in which the defects of the
above-mentioned conventional apparatus are eliminated and a variety
of heat medium temperatures can be produced in a tank.
Namely, according to the present invention, there is provided a
heat pump system in which a heat medium in a tank has a plurality
of temperatures in layers generally lowered from an upper position
to a lower position in the tank and a cold heat medium and a hot
medium can simultaneously be produced.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat pump
system in which an entire heat medium in a tank is heated at a high
temperature and the temperature of the high temperature heat medium
is set so that the temperature is gradually lowered in layers from
the upper portion to the lower portion in the tank.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a heat
pump system in which only the upper portion of a heat medium in a
tank is heated at a high temperature.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a heat pump
system in which a heat medium in a tank can be heated at a
substantially equal level.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a
heat pump system in which an entire heat medium in a tank is cooled
to a low temperature and the temperature of the low temperature
heat medium can be gradually increased in layers from the lower
portion of the tank.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a
heat pump system in which only the lower portion of a heat medium
in a tank can be cooled to a low temperature.
A still further object of the present invention to provide an air
conditioner in which cooling or heating set at an appropriate
temperature can be performed by heat exchange with a heat medium in
a tank, which is controlled in any one of the above-mentioned
manners.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a
water supply apparatus in which cold water or warm water set at an
appropriate temperature can be supplied by heat exchange with a
heat medium in a tank controlled in any one of the above-mentioned
manners.
In accordance with one fundamental aspect of the present invention,
the above-mentioned objects and effects can be attained by a heat
medium temperature controlling heat pump system which comprises a
tank for storing a heat medium therein, a plurality of first heat
exchange means arranged in sequence from the upper portion to the
lower portion in the tank, second heat exchange means arranged
outside the tank, a cooling medium circulating passage for
connecting a plurality of said first heat exchange means to said
second heat exchange means in series, means for forcibly
circulating a cooling medium in the cooling medium circulating
passage, means for reversing the flowing direction of the cooling
medium in the cooling medium circulating passage, at least one
cooling medium expanding means connected in parallel to the portion
of the cooling medium circulating passage between two adjacent
upper and lower first heat exchange means, second cooling medium
expanding means arranged in series in the portion of the cooling
medium circulating passage between the lowermost first heat
exchange means and the second heat exchange means, a first
by-passing passage by-passing the second heat exchange means and
the second cooling expanding means so that the cooling medium
circulating passage is short-circuited, first valve means for
selectively introducing the cooling medium into one of the first
cooling medium expanding means and the portion of the cooling
medium circulating passage parallel to said first cooling medium
expanding means, and second valve means for selectively introducing
the cooling medium into one of the first by-passing passage and the
second heat exchange means.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the
heat pump system having the above-mentioned structure is provided
for means for taking out a heat medium in the tank and circulating
it into heat exchange means for an air conditioner and warming or
cooling air by said heat exchange means or provided for water
supply means for taking out warm water and/or cold water
heat-exchanged with the heat medium in the tank by said heat
exchange means to the outside of the tank and applying warm water
and/or cold water to intended use.
The above-mentioned objects and structural features of the present
invention will become apparent from embodiments illustrated
hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The accompanying drawing shows a schematic diagram illustrating an
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings, a cooling medium extrusion port 1a of a
cooling medium compressor 1 acting as the cooling medium forcibly
circulating means is connected to one port 2a of a four-way valve
2, and a cooling medium sucking port 1b of the cooling medium
compressor 1 is connected to another port 2b of the four-way valve
2. The four-way valve 2 acts as means for changing the flowing
direction of the cooling medium.
Each of remaining two ports 2c and 2d of the four-way valve 2 is
connected to an exterior heat exchange 4 (second heat exchanger)
for heat-exchanging outer air with the cooling medium and is
connected to a connecting port 6a of a heat exchanger 6 arranged in
the upper portion within a tank 5 in which a heat medium is stored,
respectively.
The other connecting port 6b of the heat exchanger is connected in
series to a connecting port 8a of a heat exchanger 8 arranged in
the lower portion within the tank 5 through a portion 7 of a
cooling medium circulating passage, and the other connecting port
8b of the heat exchanger 8 is connected to one connecting port 4a
of the exterior heat exchanger 4 through expanding means 9 such as
a capillary tube or expanding valve means. An expanding passage 11
provided with expanding means 10 is connected in parallel to the
portion 7 of the cooling medium circulating passage, and first
valve means comprising opening and closing valves 12 and 13 are
disposed so that the cooling medium is selectively circulated in
the passage 7 or the passage 11.
Heat exchangers 6 and 8 (first heat exchangers) in the tank 5 and
exterior heat exchanger 4 (second heat exchanger) act as both of
condensers and an evaporator, selectively. In the drawings, two
heat exchangers 6 and 8 are arranged within the tank 5, but at
least three heat exchangers may be arranged within the tank 5
separately from one another in the vertical direction. The cooling
medium compressor 1, heat exchangers 6 and 8, expanding means 9 and
exterior heat exchanger 4 are connected in series by a cooling
medium circulating passage 15 constituting a heat pump cycle.
A by-passing passage 21 short-circuiting the cooling medium
circulating passage 15 is arranged to by-pass the heat exchanger 6
in the tank 5 and the expanding means 10. A by-passing passage 22
short-circuiting the cooling medium circulating passage 15 is
arranged to by-pass the lowermost heat exchanger 8. Opening and
closing valves are disposed in the by-passing passages 21 and 22.
By opening or closing of valve means 11 and 13 comprising the
valves 11 and 13, it is selected whether the cooling medium flows
in the portion 7 of the cooling medium circulation passage through
the heat exchanger 6 or flows in the expanding means 10, and
moreover, by opening or closing of an opening and closing valve 23,
it is selected whether the cooling medium circulates in the heat
exchanger 6 or does not circulate through the heat exchanger 6 but
by-passes it.
A by-passing passage 27 provided with a valve 26 selectively opened
and closed is connected in parallel to the series cooling medium
circuit of the expanding means 9 and exterior heat exchanger 4, and
valve means comprising a selectively opened and closed valve 32 is
interposed between the connecting part of the by-passing passage 27
and the expanding means 9 and exterior heat exchanger 4 so that
when the valve 26 is opened, the vaporized cooling medium is not
intruded into the exterior heat exchanger 4.
In a room, there is arranged a heat exchanger for an air
conditioner such as a cooling and heating apparatus, and the heat
medium is circulated between the heat exchanger 41 and the tank 5
by heat medium circulating means to control the air temperature in
the room. More specifically, one port of a three-way
electromagnetic valve 43 is connected to a suction port 41a of the
heat exchanger 41 through a heat medium passage 44 having a
circulating pump 42. The other two ports of the three-way
electromagnetic valve 43 are connected to take-out openings 45a and
46a arranged in the tank at positions corresponding to the heights
of the heat exchangers 6 and 8 through heat medium passages 45 and
46, respectively. An extrusion opening 41b of the heat exchanger 41
is connected to one port of a three-way electromagnetic valve 47
through a heat medium passage 48, and the other two ports of the
three-way electromagnetic valve 47 are connected to the heat medium
in the tank at positions corresponding to the heights of the heat
exchangers 6 and 8 via extrusion openings 51a and 52a through heat
medium passages 51 and 52, respectively. The three-way
electromagnetic valves 43 can select the heat medium passage 45 or
the heat medium passage 46 and the three-way electromagnetic valve
47 can select the heat medium passage 52 or the heat medium pasage
51, so that the heat medium in the tank is introduced into the heat
exchanger 41, heat-exchanged with air in the room and returned into
the tank 5.
Furthermore, the system of the present invention comprises water
supply means for supplying cold water or warm water of a
predetermined temperature by heat-exchanging the heat medium having
the temperature controlled in the tank 5 with water.
More specifically, in the tank 5, heat exchangers 61 and 62 (third
heat exchangers) are arranged separately from each other in the
vertical direction at positions corresponding to the heights of the
heat exchangers 6 and 8. Water of normal temperature fed from water
supply passages 65 and 66 is selectively supplied to suction ports
61a and 62a of the heat exchangers 61 and 62 via water supply
passages 65 and 66 through a three-way electromagnetic valve 64 and
transfer heat exchange is effected between this water and the heat
medium in the heat exchangers 61 and 62, whereby cold water or warm
water of a predetermined temperature is prepared. So-prepared cold
water or warm water is supplied to the outside through water supply
pipes 68 and 69 connected to extrusion ports 61b and 62b. A reflux
passage 71 having an opening and closing valve 72 is connected to
the water supply pipe 68, and water is supplied into the tank 5
through a water supply opening 71a which is an extrusion opening of
the reflux passage 71. Of cource, in the above-mentioned case, the
heat medium is water.
The operation of the above-mentioned system will now be described.
For convenience's sake, the case where the heat medium in the tank
5 is water is described.
(1) Case Where Warm Water and Cold Water Are Simultaneously Stored
in Tank 5
The valves 12, 23, 24, 31 and 32 are closed and the valves 13 and
26 are opened, and the four-way valve 2 is changed over to the
position A indicated by a solid line in the drawings, where the
port 2a communicates with the port 2d and the port 2b communicates
with the port 2c, so that high-temperature high-pressure cooling
medium extruded from the cooling medium compressor 1 flows into the
heat exchanger 6.
The high-temperature high-pressure vaporized cooling medium
extruded from the cooling medium compressor 1 discharges heat at
the heat exchanger 6 because the heat exchanger 6 acts as a
condenser, and by this discharged heat, water in the upper portion
of the tank 5 is heated and converted to warm water and the cooling
medium per se is changed to a medium-temperature high-pressure
condensed cooling medium. Since the valve 13 is opened, the cooling
medium passes through the expanding means 10 and is changed to a
low-temperature low-pressure cooling medium by adiabatic expansion.
The cooling medium is then introduced into the heat exchanger 8. In
this case, the heat exchanger 8 acts as an evaporator, and the
cooling medium is evaporated to absorb heat from water in the lower
portion of the tank and cool this water. The cooling medium per se
is changed to a low-temperature low-pressure evaporated cooling
medium and is returned to the cooling medium compressor 1 through
the valve 26, four-way valve 2 and accumulator 3, whereby the
cooling medium is changed to a high-pressure high-temperature
evaporated cooling medium again.
Accordingly, in this cycle, there is attained a heat pump operation
in which water in the lower portion of the tank 5 is used as a
low-temperature heat source and water in the upper portion of the
tank 5 is used as a high-temperature heat source, and hence, warm
water is stored in the upper portion of the tank 5 and cold water
is stored in the lower portion. Since there is a difference of the
specific gravity between warm water and cold water, they are not
mingled with each other at all.
(2) Case Where Warm Water Is Stored in Tank 5
In this case, three methods can be adopted for storing water.
According to a first method, both the heat exchangers 6 and 8 are
used as the condensers. In this method, the valves 13, 23, 24 and
26 are closed and the valves 12, 31 and 32 are opened.
The high-temperature high-pressure evaporated cooling medium flows
into the heat exchangers 6 and 8 in sequence from the cooling
medium compressor 1 and is condensed to discharge heat. By this
heat, water in the upper and lower portions in the tank 5 is heated
to prepare warm water, while the cooling medium per se is changed
to a medium-temperature or low-temperature condensed cooling
medium. This cooling medium is changed to low-temperature
low-pressure cooling medium by the expanding means 9, and this
cooling medium absorbs heat through the exterior heat changer 4 and
is changed to a low-temperature low-pressure vaporized cooling
medium and returned to the cooling medium compresor 1 where the
cooling medium is changed to a high-temperature high-pressure
vaporized cooling medium.
Accordingly, in this cycle, water in both the upper and lower
portions of the tank 5 can be heated, and hence, a heated heat
medium can be stored entirely in the tank 5. Incidentally, warm
water heated by the lower heat exchanger 8 makes the temperature of
water in the tank substantially uniform by convection, and water is
futher heated in the upper portion of the tank by the upper heat
exchanger 6. Accordingly, high-temperature water and warm water of
a lower temperature can be easily obtained in the upper and lower
portions, respectively. In the case where at least 3 heat
exchangers are arranged in the tank, water is separated into a
corresponding number of layers where the temperature is gradually
elevated to the upper portion from the lower portion, and these
layers can be easily obtained.
According to another method, only the heat exchanger 6 is used but
the heat exchanger 8 is not operated. In this method, valves 13, 23
and 26 are closed, and the valves 12, 24, 31 and 32 are opened. The
heat exchanger 6 acts in the same manner as described above to
store warm water in the upper portion of the tank 5. The cooling
medium from the heat exchanger 6 is returned to the cooling medium
compressor 1 through the valves 12, 24, 31 and 32. Accordingly, the
heat exchanger 8 is not operated and water in the tank 5 is not
heated by the heat exchanger 8 at all. Therefore, warm water is
only stored in the upper portion in the tank 5. In this method,
heating of a small amount of water in the upper portion is
sufficient, and hence, the method is suitable for rapid
heating.
According to still another method, only the heat exchanger 8 is
used as the condenser but the heat exchanger 6 is not operated. In
this method, the valves 12, 13, 24 and 26 are closed and the valves
23, 31 and 32 are opened. The cooling medium extruded from the
cooling medium compressor 1 is directly introduced into the heat
exchanger 8 through the by-passing passage 21 and heat is
discharged in the heat exchanger 8. The heat exchanger 6 is not
operated and entire water in the tank 5 is uniformly heated only by
the heat exchanger 8 by utilizing convention.
(3) Case Where Cold Water Is Stored in Tank 5
As in case of storing warm water, there are three storing
methods.
According to a first method, both the heat exchangers 6 and 8 are
used as evaporators. In this method, the valves 13, 23, 24 and 26
are closed and the valves 12, 31 and 32 are opened. The four-way
valve 2 is changed over to the position B indicated by a dotted
line in the drawings where the port 2a communicates with the port
2c and there port 2b communicates with the port 2d, whereby the
high-temperature high-pressure vaporized cooling medium from the
cooling medium compressor 1 flows toward the exterior heat
exchanger 4.
The high-temperature high-pressure vaporized cooling medium from
the cooling medium compressor 1 discharges heat through the
exterior heat exchanger 4 and the cooling medium is changed to a
low-temperature low-pressure cooling medium by adiabatic expansion
at the expanding means 9. This low-temperature low-pressure
condensed cooling medium flows through the heat exchanger 8, the
opened valve 12 and the heat exchanger 6 in sequence while the
cooling medium is evaporated and absorbs heat to cool water in the
upper and lower portions in the tank 5. The cooling medium per se
is changed to a low-temperature low-pressure vaporized cooling
medium, and this cooling medium is returned to the cooling medium
compressor 1 and changed to a high-temperature high-pressure
vaporized cooling medium.
Accordingly, in this cycle, water in the upper and lower portions
of the tank 5 can be cooled, and hence, cold water can be stored in
the entire cooling tank 5.
Especially when water is cooled by the heat exchanger 6, entire
water in the tank is cooled to a substantially uniform temperature
by convection, and since this cooled water is further cooled by the
lower heat exchanger 8, there are formed two cold water layers
differing in the temperature in the tank 5 and the temperature of
the lower layer is lower.
According to another method, only the heat exchanger 8 is used as
the evaporator and the heat exchanger 6 is not operated. In this
method, the valves 12, 13, 24 and 26 are closed and the valves 23,
31 and 32 are opened. Cold water is stored in the lower portion of
the tank 5 through the heat exchanger 8.
More specifically, the cooling medium fed from the cooling medium
compressor 1 is condensed in the exterior heat exchanger 4 acting
as the condenser to discharge heat, and adiabatic expansion is
caused in the cooling medium by the expanding means 9 and the
cooling medium flows in the heat exchanger 8 and is evaporated
therein to cool water in the lower portion. Since the valve 23 is
opened, the cooling medium passes through the by-passing passage 21
and is returned to the cooling medium compressor 1 without
operation of the upper heat exchanger 16.
Accordingly, only water in the lower portion in the tank 5 is
cooled to a low temperature because of the difference of the
specific gravity between water in the upper portion and water in
the lower portion.
Similarly, in the case where the operation of the heat exchanger 8
is stopped and only the heat exchanger 6 is operated as the
evaporator, entire water is uniformly cooled in the tank by
utilizing convention, as is obvious to persons with ordinary skill
in the art.
The operation of cooling or heating air in a room or controlling
the temperature in the room by heat exchange with the heat medium
in the tank 5 in which the temperature is controlled in the
above-mentioned manners will now be described. The principle of
this operation is to introduce the heat medium in the tank 5, which
is temperature-controlled by the above-mentioned heat pump system,
into the heat exchanger 41 for an air conditioner and
heat-exchanging the heat medium with air in the room to control the
temperature in the room according to the controlled temperature of
the heat medium. The larger the number of heat exchangers in the
tank 5, larger the number of layers of the heat medium differing in
the temperature, and therefore, the heating medium differing in the
temperature can be introduced into the heat exchanger 41 and the
precision of the temperature control for cooling or heating can be
apparently improved.
More specifically, for example, if warm water is stored in the
upper portion or all of the tank 5, the heat medium passages 44 and
45 are connected to each other by the electromagnetic valves 43,
and this warm water is introduced into the heat exchanger 42
through the suction port 45a by the circulating pump 42 and is
returned to the lower portion in the tank 5 through the three-way
electromagnetic valve 47 and extrusion port 52a, whereby heating
can be accomplished stably by the heat exchanger 41 without
mingling with high temperature warm water in the upper portion. In
the case where both the heat exchangers 6 and 8 are operated as the
condensers, two kinds of warm water differing in the temperature
are obtained in the upper and lower portions in the tank 5.
Accordingly, if the lower layer of warm water having a lower
temperature is introduced into the heat exchanger 41, low
temperature heating can be performed.
In the case where cold water is stored in the lower portion or all
of the tank 5, if the heat medium passage 46 is selected by the
three-way electromagnetic valve 43 to introduce cold water in the
lower portion of the tank 5 into the heat exchanger 41 through the
suction port 46a and cold water is returned to the upper portion in
the tank 5 through the three-way electromagnetic valve 47 and
extrusion port 51a, cooling can be carried out stably through the
heat exchanger 41 without mingling with low-temperature cold water
in the upper portion. If both the heat exchangers 6 and 8 are
operated as the evaporators, the temperature of cold water in the
lower portion is lower than the temperature of cold water in the
upper portion, and the cooling temperature can be changed according
to the kind of cold water to be introduced into the heat exchanger
41.
Furthermore, if hot water is stored in the upper portion in the
tank 5 and cold water is stored in the lower portion in the tank 5,
cold water or hot water can be selectively introduced into the heat
exchanger 22 according to the state of the passage selection by the
three-way electromagnetic valves 43 and 47. Accordingly, heating or
cooling can be selectively performed in the heat exchanger 41.
If a plurality of layers of the heat medium differing in the
temperature are formed in the tank 5 by the above-mentioned heat
pump system, when the heat exchanger arranged in the heat medium of
an optional temperature layer is operated, hot water or cold water
of an optional temperature can be supplied to the outside by the
water supply means.
More specifically, if the passage 65 is selected by the three-way
electromagnetic valve 64, water is introduced into the upper heat
exchanger 61 from the water supply passage 63 through the water
supply passage 65, and water heat-exchanged with the upper heat
medium is supplied to the outside through the water supply pipe 68.
If the three-way electromagnetic valve 64 selects the heat
exchanger 62, water is introduced into the heat exchanger 62
through the water supply passage 66 and heat-exchanged with the
heat medium in the lower portion, and heat-exchanged water is
supplied to the outside through the water supply pipe 69. The
temperature of water to be supplied is based on the controlled
temperature of the heat medium in the tank 5. For example, if the
heat medium in the tank is maintained at a higher temperature in
the upper portion and at a lower temperature in the lower portion,
water supplied from the water supply pipe 68 is high-temperature
water and water supplied from the water supply pipe 69 is cold
water. The system may be arranged so that kinds of water differing
in the temperature can be simultaneously supplied by operating all
the heat exchangers 61 and 62.
The valve 72 is opened when water is supplied in the tank 5 in the
case where the heat medium in the tank 5 is water.
In the foregoing embodiment, any particular member is not disposed
in the tank 5. In the present invention, a heat-insulating
intermodiate plate 75 having communicating holes for circulation
may be disposed in the central portion of the tank 5. If this
structure is adopted, when warm water is stored in the upper
portion and cold water is stored in the lower portion, the
heat-insulating characteristic is especially enhanced.
As is apparent from the foregoing illustration, according to the
present invention, there can be provided a heat pump system in
which not only a cold liquid or a warm liquid but also kinds of a
warm or cold liquid differing in the temperature can be stored or a
warm liquid and a cold liquid can be simultaneously stored.
Therefore, for example, warm water and cold water can be
simultaneously obtained at heating or cooling, and the operation
adaptability of the heat pump system can be enhanced over the
operation adaptability of the conventional systems.
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